Driver education or ISA device?

Over the past 6 months, the RTA has been trialling an Intelligent Speed Adaption (ISA) device that warns people when they are driving over the speed limit by beeping until they decrease their speed. According to the RTA, this device could help prevent 35 deaths and around 1500 injuries, although it is not going to be made a compulsory installation.

The majority of the time, people know they are speeding. It’s hard to be 20km/h over the limit and not notice. So why do people speed? In most cases, it’s an underlying behaviour. It seems to be that until a person sees the effects first hand (or get whacked with a few fines), only then will they change their behaviours. Often they then wish they (or someone else) had listened at the beginning. Therefore, could this ISA device really stop people from speeding for good? Or will it just serve as a good theory but irritating in practice?

Changing underlying behaviours can be difficult enough without having an annoying beeping sound telling you off. People will get sick of the sound and turn it off (hands up who turns the GPS lady off these days??). Instead of negative reinforcement, why not go to the opposite side of the scale and use positive reinforcement?

This is where that old chestnut, driver education could come into play.

Driver education is something frequently mentioned but occasionally actioned. It’s not only something that would benefit the driver, but also other road users. Companies that have a fleet could definitely benefit from education like this. Giving your drivers the best education and training possible can help to make sure all their focus is on the task at hand- driving. Knowing all your drivers have been educated in the same way can help you put your upmost confidence in them doing the job correctly. It could even help prevent accidents involving your own fleet vehicles, as your drivers will be well equipped for many avoidable situations. Maybe this is something the government should look at making compulsory instead of an ISA device?

Would you rather spend your money on installing ISA devices in your fleet vehicles, or use it to educate your drivers and change their bad behaviours for good?